When I was putting the staff together a lot of (candidates) took a moment and said, 'Look, you've got a good coach in Chris, that's a solid hire.

BEREA, Ohio – As Chris Tabor and his daughter, Paityn, arrived at a recent high school basketball game, the subject of the family’s nomadic existence was unexpectedly broached.

The Browns' special teams coordinator has been coaching for two decades and has never held the same job for more than four seasons. Paityn is 12 years old, and she's already moved four times. Several days before Tabor was assured he had survived the Browns’ third coaching change in four years, his oldest daughter quizzed him about their uncertain future.

“She said, ‘Dad, what do you think is going to happen to you?’” Tabor recalled. “I said, ‘Honey, I don’t know. Do you like it here?’ And she said, ‘Dad, I love it here. This feels like home to me.’

“As a father that really hit home.”

Coaching purges and front-office shakeups always create big news. Lost in the vortex of blame and speculation are the lives of assistants and their families who often get swept out in regime changes.

Unlike many ousted head coaches and general managers, there are no golden parachutes attached to their departures. Many are left scrambling for work, rushing to the Senior Bowl or national coaches convention to network for a new job hundreds of miles from their previous one.

The firing of Rob Chudzinski and the impact on his staff was particularly tough because it came almost without warning.

Tabor, who knows what it’s like to troll a hotel lobby seeking a minute’s face time with a potential employer, expressed his gratitude to the Browns, new coach Mike Pettine and God at a Thursday news conference.

“I think it says the good Lord is watching over me, to be honest,” Tabor said when asked about being one of five assistants retained from Chudzinski’s staff. “No, I think I’m fortunate. Myself and my assistant Shawn Mennenga, who does an outstanding job with us, it’s nice to be able to stay at a place and continue to coach the guys and keep your system implemented.”

View full sizeSpecial teams coordinator Chris Tabor has survived two coaching purges with the Browns.John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer

The Browns think so highly of Tabor they denied interview requests from other NFL teams for a second straight year. His job wasn’t secure, however, until Pettine agreed to keep him.

It didn’t hurt that the former Buffalo defensive coordinator saw Tabor’s special teams dismantle the Bills in a 37-24 victory on Oct. 5. Punt returner Travis Benjamin set a franchise record with 179 yards in returns that night. Both Benjamin and punter Spencer Lanning captured AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors in what was an up-and-down season for the specialists.

“He's one of the most well-respected special teams coaches in the league as evidenced by the number of requests that came in for him after the season,” said Pettine at a presser introducing his three coordinators. “He was not permitted to leave and I'm glad that happened. ... When I was putting the staff together, a lot of them took a moment and said, ‘Look you've got a real good coach in Chris, that's a solid hire.’’’

Pettine and Tabor are the sons of legendary high school coaches. The 42-year-old assistant who married his high-school sweetheart understands how lucky he was growing up in the same Missouri town and school system.

He credits his wife, Nikki, and two daughters, Paityn and Lainey, 8, for having an "adventurous spirit." When the couple had its first child, the former college quarterback wanted to name it – boy or girl – after Peyton Manning. It’s one of many icebreakers Paityn has had with kids her age while adjusting to new neighborhoods and school systems.

One frequent conversation among coaches, Tabor said, is the ideal time to enroll kids in a new school. The Tabors have done it both ways – withdrawing children midyear and waiting until the summer.

Most NFL assistants work insanely long hours, earning an average of $350,000, with little job security. Tabor ascended from the high school and college ranks to land his first pro position in 2008 as an assistant special teams coach with the Chicago Bears. He’s seen plenty of marriages riven by the stress and demands on family.

“They have been so resilient and understanding,” said Tabor, who joined the Browns in 2011. “My wife is a very special person.”

The 2013 season was a challenging one for the Browns' special teams. Pro Bowlers Phil Dawson and Josh Cribbs were lost to free agency and Benjamin to a devastating mid-season knee injury.

Special teams played key roles in wins over Minnesota and Buffalo and factored prominently in losses to Cincinnati and New England. The Browns finished 25th in the annual special teams rankings compiled by the Dallas Morning News after placing 14th a season earlier.

The constant turnover at the bottom of the roster and key injuries to Benjamin and special teams captain Quentin Groves affected production. The Browns went through four kick returners, four punt returners, four personal protectors.

The low points were easy to identify and naturally drew the most attention. There was a blocked and deflected punt in a 41-20 setback in Cincinnati on Nov. 17. But nothing rivaled the inability to recover an onside kick in the final minutes of a 27-26 loss to New England on Dec. 1. Would Chudzinski still have a job if Fozzy Whittaker comes out of a midfield pile with the ball? It’s a question Tabor doesn’t like to ponder.

“I can’t play the ‘what ifs,’” he said. “I can only play the ‘this is what happened and this is what needed to happen.’

“We didn’t get the ball and we still burn over it.”

Tabor is excited to welcome back a healthy Benjamin. Lanning had a strong season as punter and remains under contract. Kicker Billy Cundiff, who had a good year as Dawson’s replacement, is a free agent.

As usual, his transient units will be stocked with young and unheralded players, like almost every other special teams coach. But how many NFL organizations can say their most tenured coaches reside on special teams?

“I have laughed a little bit about that,” Tabor said. “It goes back to the fact the NFL is always changing. It feels a little different to be the senior guy, but I’m certainly glad. It’s a reflection on the players. They are the ones who have done it. If we keep making it about them, we will be all right.

Recently, one of his daughters remarked that their grandmother has lived in the same Missouri home her entire life. Tabor processed the comment and, thinking about his profession, elected not to respond.

Follow Us

cleveland.com is powered by Plain Dealer Publishing Co. and Northeast Ohio Media Group. All rights reserved (About Us).The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Northeast Ohio Media Group LLC.